{"id":1484,"date":"2008-06-13T10:55:20","date_gmt":"2008-06-13T14:55:20","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2008-12-10T16:26:18","modified_gmt":"2008-12-10T16:26:18","slug":"contractual-obligation-albums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/contractual-obligation-albums\/","title":{"rendered":"Contractual Obligation Albums"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/p>\n
We’re Only in it for the Funny<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Do artists even make these albums anymore? At least years ago, when I was more tuned into the major record label status of big artists, there were sure signs that an artist was nearing the end of a long-term contract. A hastily compiled album of lesser material, often packaged on the cheap, would be rushed to market with little fanfare. The Contractual Obligation Album (COA)<\/strong> might be loaded with cover songs or padded out with live tracks. I believe an entire live album was a pretty cheap way to fulfill a contract as well. The artist wouldn’t do much press for the album, or what interviews were granted centered on how excited they were for their next<\/em> album.<\/p>\n

I’m not sure if Greatest Hits<\/em> and Best of<\/em> collections could count toward an artist’s fulfilling a contractual obligation, but I believe to this day they still serve as the old label’s last shot at making a few bucks off the departing artist. Does anyone know the ins and outs of these deals?<\/em> Too bad Links Linkerson<\/strong> keeps himself in the basement and can’t send us some Billboard<\/em> links to fill in the details.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n
The Way Contractual Obligation Albums Were Meant to Sound!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Some contractual obligation albums were outright “F-U” affairs: F-U to the old label, F-U to the buyers, F-U to the coming Greatest Hits<\/em>\/Best of<\/em> repackaging options. Lou Reed<\/strong>‘s Metal Machine Music<\/em> is reported to have been one of those F-U COAs, maybe the most brazen of them all.<\/p>\n

I wonder what artist has cranked out the most COAs? Do you have a favorite COA, one that works despite – or because of – its tossed-off nature?<\/em>
\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n
I Only Made it for the Honey<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Marvin Gaye<\/strong> produced a COA that fulfilled two obligations with one album. Technically it was a double album. His Here, My Dear<\/a><\/em> album not only fulfilled a contractual obligation to Motown, but Marvin parlayed it into serving as his alimony payment for his first wife, Anna Gordy<\/strong>. I wonder how Papa Berry felt about his daughter’s settlement. As much as I love Marvin Gaye, I’ve never gotten around to buying or even hearing this album. The cover art is so bad I can’t help but judge the album.<\/p>\n

You know, Led Zeppelin<\/strong> first toured as The New Yardbirds<\/a><\/strong> to fulfill a contractual obligation, but a COA was not part of the deal.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n
Bland Slam!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

There’s that whole stretch of Bob Dylan<\/strong> albums following Nashville Skyline<\/em> that I never have the urge to spin: Self Portrait<\/em>, New Morning<\/em>, and the soundtrack for Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid<\/em>. They’re his last three Columbia albums, and they play like a “COA trilogy.” Columbia capped off the COA trilogy by compiling outtakes from two of the three previous turds and releasing it as Dylan<\/em>. Has anyone ever listened to this album?<\/em> I haven’t even seen a copy in a dollar bin for 25 years. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n
Man, someone felt it necessary to work up this chart…<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Dylan’s COA trilogy was followed by what I’m sure was great fanfare, for his one intentionally recorded and released studio album with The Band<\/strong>, Planet Waves<\/em>, on his new label, Asylum. I’m sure the label was thrilled. The results, however, were not exactly thrilling. A couple of good songs, but recorded with about as much color as the cover sketch. I’ll leave it to someone else to examine whether there’s typically a noticeable bounce to New Label Albums<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

WFMU’s Beware of the Blog<\/em><\/strong><\/a> did a good piece on Van Morrison<\/strong>‘s COA to satisfy the bubblegum contract he couldn’t wait to get out of with Bang Records. They piece includes mp3s of all 31 songs<\/a> he cranked out!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We’re Only in it for the Funny Do artists even make these albums anymore? At least years ago, when I was more tuned into the major record label status of big artists, there were sure signs that an artist was nearing the end of a long-term contract. A hastily compiled album of lesser material, often […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[342],"tags":[68],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1484"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1484\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}